1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to underwater dock lights.
2. Background Art
The light emitting unit in many conventional underwater lights are incandescent bulbs that are not energy efficient. Metal hydride lighting systems require the use of bulky transformers that are also not energy efficient compared to compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) or high intensity light emitting diode (LED) systems. Transformers make the assembly more costly and are unsightly. Incandescent, metal hydride, and CFL bulbs use hazardous high voltage A/C current. When these bulbs are used in underwater lights, the use of a ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) is recommended for safe operation. GFCI's add additional cost to an underwater light system. LED systems can operate with non-hazardous, low voltage D/C current which is a much safer alternative to the prior art A/C systems. Moreover, incandescent bulbs, CFL bulbs, and metal hydride bulbs have a short life expectancy in comparison to LEDs.
High intensity LEDs used in light systems produce concentrated heat at each LED. Although an underwater light assembly has a relatively stable external temperature due to submersion, without a way of dissipating the heat from a concentrated point of each LED, the high intensity LED will overheat and become damaged.
There are several challenges to overcome with using high intensity LEDs in an underwater light system. One challenge being the need for the LED to be in contact with a heat sink capable of sufficiently transferring heat. The problem with a heat sink in an underwater light is determining how to cool the heat sink. Thus, there is a need for an improved method of cooling LEDs inside an underwater light.
Currently, most prior art underwater lights on the market operate in about ten feet or less of water. These underwater lights have a light emission that is configured to beam away from the light fixture housing, resulting in the light source emitting a beam of light. In shallow water, the light beaming upward results in an underwater light having a small diameter of light being illuminated. Thus, there is a need for an improved, underwater light that directs the light not only upward, but radiating outward to produce a large diameter of light being illuminated in shallow water.
Prior art underwater lights are not energy efficient compared to the diameter of light they produce. Thus, there is a need for an underwater light that produces a brighter light and a larger diameter of light in a body of water. This is more desirable to an observer and attracts more marine life to the site. More particularly, a brighter light is more effective at penetrating murky water.
Prior art underwater lights illuminate the surrounding water a single color. Thus, there is a need for an improved underwater light that illuminates the surrounding water with multiple colors simultaneously.
However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made; it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.